We Can No Longer Ignore Social Networks

A Nielsen Co. report released last week found the number of social media users has increased 87 percent since 2003, and surpassed e-mail use for the first time in February. In the past year, the time spent on social networks increased 73 percent, Nielsen said.

The “meteoric growth” of social networks is “the single most significant story in the online media space today,” the report said.

For businesses, the social-media phenomenon is rewriting the rules about customer service and outreach. “Looking forward, marketers will ignore these communities at their own peril,” Nielsen said.